The Billionaire's Wife (A Steamy BWWM Marriage of Convenience Romance Novel)

by Mia Caldwell

  “What, you mean in high school? Yeah. Better than that.”

  “Wow. I am…I am so happy for you,” Swaree grinned, swallowing another big sip from her drink. “That is just fantastic. He was really that good?”

  “Oh yeah,” I reminisced. “It was fantastic…”

  “I’m sorry, I just…I can’t get over the fact that you fucked a sexy billionaire. That’s really just awesome! Who the hell gets to say they’ve done that? He didn’t do any weird spanking stuff, right? Did he do the whole breakfast in bed shtick afterwards?”

  “You should have seen his sex dungeon.”

  I watched as Swaree’s eyes went wide, but I couldn’t hold a straight face. As the laughter began to bubble up, she hit me on the arm and joined in. “I’m sorry,” I gasped between giggles, “I couldn’t resist.”

  “So no sex dungeon?” Swaree asked, a pout on her face.

  “Not a single nipple clamp to be seen. And as for the morning… He ran out on me,” I replied, my laughter fading as I felt a tinge of sadness.

  “What do you mean, ran out?”

  “I don’t know, he just picked up and bolted in the morning. He was being super evasive of my questions and insisted that I don’t come along with him.”

  Swaree thought about this for a moment. “Well, I mean, the guy is a billionaire. Maybe he had some stuff to run and take care of. Like with his company?”

  “Maybe,” I remarked. “Didn’t seem like it though. And he said it wasn’t a business trip specifically… Maybe I pushed things too far. This was supposed to be a business arrangement…”

  “Well, look, you should probably just give him the benefit of the doubt,” she tried to console me. “I mean, he married you. I was there. Obviously, you two are together through this for the time being, until your little document thing comes back into play.”

  “Yeah, don’t remind me about that right now,” I chided her, sipping from my drink.

  “Wait…you don’t…oh my god. I know you had sex but Key, do you like this guy?” She gave me a sideways glance, her eyes widening. “Oh good lord you do! You totally like him!”

  “Of course I like him!” I mock-snapped. “He’s a bit standoffish, but he’s kind, he’s sweet, he’s caring and nurturing in his own way…but he just won’t let me in, and I don’t know why. I kept putting obvious signals out, and we only just started sleeping together last night…”

  “Well, maybe that’s a bit of a problem…”

  “Yeah, you think?”

  Swaree and I sat in silence for a moment, drinking our drinks, before she perked back up.

  “But hey! Maybe you can win him over with your womanly wiles, right? I mean, did he seem really into the sex?”

  “…Yeah, I’m pretty sure he was. He was all over me.”

  “Perfect,” she nodded matter-of-factly. “You’ve got him. All you’ve gotta do now is play a little coy, a little hard-to-get…so, this guy’s used to getting everything he wants, right? I mean, he literally bought his way into a relationship with you, even–”

  “That’s not the po–”

  “–Even if that’s a little beside the point,” Swaree continued. “Look, he’s shown you that he’s into you, right? Maybe those walls are gonna come crumbling down, and you’ll get in, huh? Just approach this thing with an open mind, and I’m sure you’ll totally make it work. You’ve improvised your way into tougher scrapes than this.”

  “You really think so?” I asked pensively, taking another sip of the drink.

  “Honey, I know so.”

  * * *

  A short while later, after Aiswarya had given me a hug and a cheek-kiss goodbye, I triumphantly marched back towards the penthouse. She’s right, I thought to myself. I just need to play a little hard to get…really show him who he’s dealing with.

  A small, smug smile crossed my lips.

  Just you wait and see, Cole Andrews.

  I hadn’t given any consideration to how I was getting past the lobby staff, which had undoubtedly changed over since my departure that morning. Luckily, Samantha was working again, and she recognized me on sight.

  “Back to see Mr. Andrews again?” She asked as I produced the private key.

  “Why yes, he is my husband.” It was odd to say it aloud – in all honesty, I hadn’t even given the thought any consideration, but it was true now. Cole was my partner, yes, and this was all pre-arranged…but he was my husband for the foreseeable future.

  Samantha gave me a strange, bemused look. He had clearly neither told her, nor anyone else on the apartment building staff. “Mr. Andrews isn’t married…”

  “We married a few days ago, and just came back from our honeymoon,” I told her confidently. “That’s why I was here last night. I’ll have to have him confirm it with all of you, so that I can come and go as I please.”

  “Yes…of course, have him reach out to us to verify,” she replied, not certain whether or not to believe me.

  I followed Samantha behind the counter and around to the private entrance again. She watched me unlock the gate for the elevator with a satisfactory nod before returning to her post.

  After pressing the right button, I had to wait a while for the elevator to appear – which told me that Cole was already back. Well…maybe he’ll be a little more pleasant this time; I smiled eagerly to myself as I set my bags down on the tile. Holding my heel down, I tapped my shoe against the tile as I waited for the elevator to make the long trip down to my level.

  I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when I presented my finds –Would he be impressed? Furious? It was hard to tell.

  The doors finally opened, and I stepped into the private elevator. Setting the heavy bags back down, I watched the floors pass until the city appeared again, spreading out in every direction as I ascended towards the penthouse.

  The elevator ride was excruciatingly slow without anyone to talk to. I wondered to myself how Cole did it. No surprise that he spent so much time away from his home, if he had to endure this every time that he wasn’t descending via helicopter. Then again, I thought to myself, that view is something else.

  Finally, after enough boring time had slipped past, the elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened. Letting myself into the apartment, I glanced at the large windowpanes that dominated the entrance hallway. My heels clicked against the penthouse tiling as the bags crinkled and shuffled with my brisk steps…they were so loud in these acoustics.

  Something started to nag on me, but I pushed it out of my head. I’d find him asleep, maybe, curled up in his bed. Maybe I’d leave him to it, or maybe I’d just stir him awake and make him cook me dinner. After all, I’d completely forgotten about dinner when it came to sharing drinks with my best friend.

  Something’s not right.

  It struck me as a peculiar feeling, but I knew it was true. Glancing around as I entered the den from the side, I realized that it really was excessively quiet…an unnatural sort of quiet. I bit my bottom lip in fear.

  Why am I on edge like this? Everything’s fine…

  I walked around to the side when I shrieked, dropping my bags. Cole’s twisted form lay silent and motionless on the beautifully expensive floor.

  (Back to Table of Contents)

  Chapter 22

  Kiona

  Dead or unconscious, Cole wasn’t responding to me.

  He was sprawled out lifelessly, lying on his stomach. All the anger and bitterness slipped off of me in an immediate wave as I frantically dropped to my knees beside him. Flipping him onto his back slowly, I desperately pressed my ear to his chest – he was breathing, but slowly, and his lungs sounded incredibly raspy…

  He was moving now, murmuring in a pained voice. I dove for my purse, whipping out my phone to call 911 when I realized that I didn’t know how they would reach him here. The only way down was a locked elevator…surely the staff can get them up here, there’s NO WAY that they don’t have some sort of backup for times like this…

&
nbsp; “S…stop…” Cole murmured. “No…ambulance…”

  “We’ve got to get you to a hospital!”

  “No…don’t…”

  “No, Cole, you fucking listen to me right now,” I demanded, kneeling next to him again. “This isn’t normal for you. You’re young and healthy. I don’t care that you’re some big-shot billionaire, or that you’re afraid what the tabloids will say…you’re in danger. We’re going to get you some professional fucking help right this second.”

  Cole’s hand lunged out, grabbing me tightly by the wrist.

  “Cole, you’re…you’re hurting me…” I pleaded.

  “No…ambulances,” he repeated, but this time his voice wasn’t weak. The shakes were gone – the tone of his words commanded me now, issuing a directive so firm that I knew better than to disobey him.

  “Fine, no ambulances, just let go of my wrist,” I told him.

  He released his grip, sliding onto his side and trying to push himself up from the floor.

  “Here, let me help you,” I asked him.

  I halfway expected him to cast out an argument, or maybe even physically push me away. Instead, the weakened billionaire gave a curt nod, and I slipped myself under his arm and slowly guided him up from the floor.

  He held onto a nearby end table for support as his leg wobbled.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked cautiously.

  Cole threw a dirty, simmering glare my way, but nodded. “Just…help me to the chair…” He pointed vaguely towards the den, descending into a small coughing fit, and I held him upright under his shoulder as he collected himself.

  I half-dragged him over to the armchair and guided him down into the comforting stability. Lounging upright, he seemed a little better now, but as he coughed weakly I ran to pour him a glass of water.

  “Thank you,” he told me in a raspy voice as I handed him the glass. He drank it all in a single gulp, rubbing his neck with his spare hand after the last swallow.

  “Ah, that’s…much better,” he murmured.

  “Sound like your throat’s a little raw there,” I observed.

  “The coughing,” he answered.

  “So, do you want to explain to me why you were crumpled on the floor when I came in, and why you refused to receive any medical attention?”

  “This isn’t…how I wanted you to find out,” he sighed weakly. “I came back to tell you everything…but you weren’t here…and I collapsed…in a coughing fit while I was…looking for you…”

  Pain flushed through my senses. If I hadn’t stormed off, he wouldn’t have been alone and unconscious.

  He saw something in my eyes as he turned to face me. “No, Key…don’t blame yourself. You didn’t know…because I haven’t been truthful yet…but it’s…time.”

  “Don’t overexert yourself,” I told him sadly, running my hand along his shoulder and clasping it as strongly as I could. “Just focus on getting better.”

  “There is no better,” he bitterly remarked.

  “Wait…what do you mean?”

  Cole looked into my eyes with the saddest, most desperate look I’ve ever seen a human being give.

  “Key…I’m dying.”

  I felt everything grow distant as I stared into his eyes, processing what he had just said. Finding him alone and unconscious told me he wasn’t joking – but if I needed any confirmation whatsoever of that, the fear in his eyes supplied it.

  “You can’t be dying.”

  “Yeah, that’s about what I said too,” Cole smiled, but the smile didn’t match his haggard, weary eyes.

  “What…” I swallowed back the lump in my throat, “What do you mean?”

  Cole looked like he was barely any condition to speak.

  “I don’t think I have the strength for this right now…”

  I nodded, stroking the tufts of his brunette hair as I fought back the welling tears. My Cole gave me a weak smile and squeezed my hand. “I’m sorry, Key.”

  “Don’t you dare apologize to me, Cole Andrews,” I told him without a trace of anger in my voice. “You just rest, and when you wake up, you tell me everything. You hear me? Everything. From the top.”

  “That sounds…good,” he murmured, his eyes slowly closing. “When I…wake up…”

  His head slowly slid down, and I caught it, propping it with a pillow. Cole smiled a fatigued acknowledgement, and I poured a fresh glass of water and set it within arm’s reach. I knew I couldn’t leave his side, and cursed myself for our last conversation – how could I have been so childish? So indignant?

  It broke my heart, but what I was seeing now was breaking it even harder.

  My intention had been to sit in the other chair near him, listening for his every need, but I felt so drained all of a sudden…I can just close my eyes a moment, I thought to myself. I’m right here, Cole…right here beside you…

  * * *

  I awoke with a start.

  Shit. How did I fall ASLEEP?!

  Panicking, I couldn’t get out of the armchair. I must have smacked it or something in my sleep, and it had reclined into the most comfortable position…but I couldn’t claw myself free from it. I glanced over at Cole’s chair, but it was empty.

  “Cole? Cole?!”

  Finally, my arm clasped onto a soft rod near the side, but I couldn’t figure out how to disengage it. Still, this gave me the leverage to pull myself up…damn these rich people and their stupid furniture. This isn’t like any recliner I’ve ever seen!

  Just as I was climbing out, the rod slid, and the mechanisms of the chair swung back into place. I slid to the tile painfully, but quickly grasped onto the chair and lifted myself up to a flustered standing position.

  “Cole!” I called out, seeing him step into a hallway.

  He had changed into baggy, comfortable clothing, and his face was freshly wet. Wiping with a rag, he walked over towards me and grabbed me by the shoulder.

  “I heard you calling, and then a commotion – are you okay? Are you hurt?”

  “No, I’m…I’m fine,” I muttered, glancing out to see that the night had fallen across New York City. “I was just so scared that something had…you weren’t…”

  “I’m okay,” Cole smiled. “I just needed to get out of those constraining clothes, splash some water in my face. You took care of me. Thank you,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

  “So it wasn’t a dream, then…I really found you on the floor in a mess.”

  His smile faltered. “Yes.”

  “And you said…you were dying.”

  “I am,” he confirmed glumly.

  “Cole, I don’t understand…”

  “Here,” he said, guiding me towards the outer counter of the kitchen, where some bar stools were seated. He pulled one out and plunked me down, pouring us a pair of waters. I accepted the glass and stared at him with a confused expression.

  “It’s time that I came clean,” the billionaire told me. “It’s time that you learned everything.”

  “From the top,” I nodded.

  “From the top.” He spread his palms across the lower counter, leaning towards me. He lifted his face, staring me in the eyes as he steeled himself. “Are you ready?”

  I nodded. “I think so.”

  “Good.”

  (Back to Table of Contents)

  Chapter 23

  Cole

  “Gifted is the word that they used,” I began. “The schools, I mean. Elementary school. My teachers noticed that I had a particular skill for high grades and test scores, and after a year or two of observation, I was placed on an accelerated learning curriculum, alongside a few other students. There were perhaps a dozen students in the entire school – several grades included – who were in this program.

  “My parents were understandably very proud of me,” I reminisced. “They didn’t really get it, but all they knew was that I was a bright kid, and that meant that I was getting into a good school. It was good enough for them. They weren�
�t terribly smart themselves, either of them, but my continuing education justified their long work hours. My father was a woodworker, a carpenter; my mother worked in a bakery. Neither of them were going anywhere in life, but they wanted the best for me, and they always joked that they didn’t know where my brains came from.